Where'd You Go?
by Novembertopaz
Summary: Inuyasha, with a few twists. Kagome vanishes and they run into her five years later. What has she been hiding? Don't really have a good summary for this.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Okay, so we all remember the Thunder Brothers. Well, let's say that Hiten took advantage of Kagome being a hostage. This picks up right after Kagome saves Kikyo from the cave.**

**Chapter One – Sango's POV.**

Sango watched the others across the campfire. She was starting to get worried about Kagome. Shippo had fallen into a fitful sleep about an hour ago and was currently curled up with Kirara. Inuyasha was lying on the opposite side of the fire and grouching at the sky. Miroku sat quietly against a tree and glanced around every few minutes; he was worried about Kagome too. She'd stormed off hours ago because Inuyasha was being a prat again and when he'd finally gone to look for her he'd been unable to find her. He'd come back in a huff, muttering about stupid girls, and sat down grumpily. Not much had been said since. She saw Inuyasha stiffen and breathed a sigh of relief. Looking around, she saw a familiar silhouette approaching. Miroku sighed as well. Inuyasha just continued to stubbornly contemplate the stars. Kagome came to the edge of the firelight and stopped. Sango grew worried again.

"Sango, I need you to come with me please." Sango heard the strain in her voice and immediately got to her feet. Inuyasha's ears twitched and Miroku made to stand. Sango slowly shook her head at him and he sat back down, but he kept glancing in Kagome's direction. Sango followed her when she turned to leave and grew even more concerned when she saw the girl stoop to grab her medicine bag. She'd been learning medicine under Lady Kaede. She followed silently until they'd gone far enough for Kagome's comfort. Abruptly the priestess dropped to the ground. Sango rushed to her side.

"What is it Kagome?" Sango asked franticly.

"I never told any of you, but I am with child," Kagome whispered. Sango gasped. How far along was she and who was the father? "I'll answer your questions later. Right now I need your help to save him."

Sango nodded. "Tell me what to do." She listened closely to Kagome's instructions in order to make her the potion she needed. As soon as she was done she helped Kagome to drink the liquid. She was holding her stomach and her eyes were screwed shut in pain. Sango ached for her. She knew that if it was already this bad the potion was unlikely to work. She could only pray it did for her sake. Suddenly the teen cried out in pain and Sango could feel the pulsing of her abdominal muscles beneath her fingers. Her body was expelling the baby. She held her friend close knowing that this was going to break her heart. She laid her flat on her back so that she wouldn't suspect anything until it was near the end. There were easier ways to birth a child, but none that weren't a dead giveaway. She stroked her back and quickly mixed together another concoction and made her take it. "It will help, trust me. I learned this one in my village." Kagome took it without complaint. It was just a simple remedy to help with the pain as well as induce labor. Sango felt Kagome's muscles contract again and heard the girl whimper. She held her close. It took nearly half an hour before the time came for Kagome to push. "Kagome, I need you to push as hard as you can, okay?"

"No!" Kagome moaned as another contraction hit her.

"Come on Sweetie, you have to do this," Sango crooned gently. Kagome shook her head in denial. Sango bit her lip. "He's already gone Sweetheart. We need to get him out of you before you go too." Kagome began sobbing, but Sango was relieved when she squeezed her hand and pushed. "Good, keep doing that." It took nearly fifteen more minutes before the babe was out and by that time Kagome was a sobbing mess. She sat up, moving much too soon, and cradled her very small, half-formed child in her arms while she rocked back and forth. There was absolutely nothing Sango could do now except try and stop the bleeding. Kagome gave a strangled cry of anguish and lost consciousness. It wasn't long before the others showed up, probably because Inuyasha had heard her cry out. Inuyasha stood there stunned, unable to comprehend what was right before his eyes. Miroku took everything in including Sango's distraught face and she saw the sadness enter his eyes. Shippo was crying into Kirara's fur. Just then a very unexpected guest showed up.

"Move aside girl. This happened while she was saving me, the least I can do is return the favor." Kikyo quickly took Sango's place and used her powers to help heal her even as she poured yet another liquid down her throat. Miroku took a somewhat hysterical Sango into his arms and allowed her to sob her heart out. Sango heard Inuyasha's whisper as he finally came out of his stupor enough to speak.

"Kikyo… What…?" he whispered brokenly as he gazed at Kagome and the thing she was clutching in her arms.

She didn't turn to look at Inuyasha. "She had a miscarriage caused by the cave that she saved me from. It struck her in the stomach hard enough to do this. She was at least four or five months along if I'm not mistaken. I had no idea she was pregnant," the older priestess murmured.

"How could she have been pregnant?" Inuyasha asked quietly. "She's been with us since she fell through the well that first time. Her family is dead, there's nothing for her to go back to."

"I imagine it happened during one of her prolonged periods away from you," Kikyo said impatiently. She sat back on her heels and Sango listened intently. "She will be okay physically. However, her mental stability has been compromised. It is a terrible thing to lose something you've grown so attached to, especially when she has no family to fall back on. You will all need to be careful not to leave her alone and try your best to keep any negativity away from her. Even if you feel like crying you must smile. She needs you now more than ever. Listen closely Inuyasha." Sango was surprised by the sudden look she sent his way. "You very well might be the only one who can reach her in the state I suspect she'll be in when she wakes. If you see that she's retreating further into herself, don't hesitate. Do whatever your instincts tell you." She stood up. "Get her back to your camp, keep her warm. Make sure she drinks plenty. I need to go now. I am the last person she'll want to see when she opens her eyes." Sango watched the woman leave. Inuyasha approached Kagome uncertainly and Miroku made to take Sango back to the camp. She shook her head and removed herself from his embrace. She took the stillborn from Kagome and nodded to Inuyasha to pick her up.

"You take her back and get her comfortable. I'm going to…" She took a deep breath and blinked hard against the threatening moisture. "…bury him," she finished hoarsely.

Miroku nodded. "It might give her a small amount of comfort when she wakes. I'll stay with you and help." She nodded and set about her task. When the deed was done she found a stream and spent several minutes washing the blood and dirt from her hands. When they returned to camp Kagome was still asleep and Inuyasha was hovering over her worriedly.

"Inuyasha?" Shippo murmured. The half demon barely spared him a glance to let him know he was listening. "I met you guys a little over four months ago…" Shippo ventured. Sango saw the way Inuyasha's ears perked up in curiosity. "The Thunder Brothers… They… kidnapped her… You don't think…?" he asked brokenly. Sango saw the way Inuyasha's eyes widened and he seemed to freeze in shock. Apparently he did think. Sango couldn't handle it anymore. She buried her face in Miroku's neck and cried herself to sleep.

**It always bugged me that she had to go back and forth, so I took away the only thing she'd have to really go back for. In this story Kagome's family is dead. So, let me know what you think. I know it's short, but most of this story's chapters are going to be short. Sorry. That's just how it's coming out when I type it. Also this story has parts from all throughout the series including the final act in it as well, so I'm just giving a general warning for spoilers. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**I just want to say thank you guys. I've already got reviews on the first chapter. :D Hope you guys like. This story might be a little weird, but that's just how my brain works.**

**Chapter Two – Kagome's POV.**

Two months had passed since that dreadful day when she lost the one thing she'd come to rely on. There were no words to describe what it felt like to lose something so precious. When Kagome awoke after the ordeal she couldn't cry; her emotions, her pain, were too severe to allow any kind of relief. The others looked at her with pity in their eyes and for a little while she resented them. They all hovered over her constantly and after a while it became too much; she took to sneaking off when they weren't looking just so that she could grieve in private. At one point she couldn't even force herself to eat anymore, the pain was just too unbearable and it turned her food into giant wads of mush that she would chew and chew and still be unable to swallow. At that point everyone left except for Inuyasha. He cradled her in his arms and when she finally relaxed into him he kissed her. She needed him more than she could explain in that moment. She clung to him desperately and eventually they had sex. She'd never done that consensually and it was a whole new experience. They formed a strange bond, one that she couldn't even begin to fathom, and she clung to that like a shield from the pain. Kagome managed to pull herself together after that and she saw the relief in her friends' faces. And life moved on. Inuyasha didn't know how to act around her anymore, but she treasured the memory and tried not to notice that there was a chasm between them caused by his uncertainty. Naraku had trapped them in a cave full of acid at one point, a demon's belly or some such nonsense, and she had rushed to Inuyasha's side without hesitation when he needed her. And now there was once again pity in their eyes. Because right now she was currently sitting in Lady Kaede's hut while she attempted to treat her legs.

Kaede shook her head sadly. "I've managed to keep the poison from spreading, but the damage is permanent and the seal won't last forever. Slowly, the poison will spread. Within half a year's time you will only be able to walk with the aid of crutches, and within a year I predict it will reach your heart. Unfortunately your purifying powers aren't able to cope with this, though I cannot say why. You will have to return regularly in order for me to reinforce the seal otherwise I fear the deterioration will spread more quickly." Kaede looked extremely grim.

"You mean she's going to die?" Sango gasped in horror.

"I'm afraid so. I give her one year. I hope you will make the best of it." Kaede walked out of the hut with a pained look on her face.

Everyone was staring at Kagome in shock. "I know you're worried I'll slow you down. I suggest you leave me here and go find Kikyo. She can see the jewel shards as well and she's not injured," she said with a shrug. She was avoiding looking at them so that they wouldn't see the despair in her eyes.

"Don't be an idiot!" Inuyasha growled. "You're coming with us and that's that. I know it's painful for you to walk so I'll carry you. I do that all the time anyway." He turned and glared at the wall, arms crossed and ears twitching. Kagome was surprised.

"He's right Kagome," Miroku said with a reassuring smile. "If you only have one year we want to spend as much of our time with you as possible, not leave you behind." Sango nodded and tried to blink away her tears.

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked worriedly.

"Of course we are. And you aren't going to die. So shut up and get some rest so you can get better," Inuyasha said stubbornly. She gave a small smile but did as he'd asked. They left out the next day and as he'd promised, Inuyasha carried her. No one acted like she was dying so she decided to just pretend that nothing had changed. As the days passed she fell more and more in love with Inuyasha, and she scolded herself over it at every opportunity. Things were actually going really great until the night that Kikyo died. Inuyasha was a wreck and Kagome couldn't handle it. Not only was it her fault that Kikyo hadn't lived, her fault for her inability to save her, but she ached knowing that the man she loved was still in love with the woman he'd chased the entire time Kagome had known him. They moved on at an erratic pace because Inuyasha was falling apart and he didn't want them to know it. Kagome tried her best not to let it get to her, but she failed miserably. And then they came upon a town with beautiful flowers and pleasant people who all but begged them to stay. Kagome was glad when they agreed because she couldn't take much more of the close proximity to Inuyasha that was necessary with travel. She would have to start riding Kirara sometimes if Sango didn't mind. That night the flowers attacked and the villagers turned to dust. Inuyasha attempted to fight off the demon that was causing this and was taken himself. She had to save him. Miroku had given her some beads that would keep the flowers away from her and she rushed after him. Her legs were painful to walk on and it took her more time than she was comfortable with to get to him. Kagome's arrows wouldn't penetrate the barrier. She didn't think twice, she simply removed the beads, attached them to her arrow and fired again. The barrier broke and Inuyasha woke up. He broke free and came to protect her, but it was too late; the flowers had already gotten to her.

"Yes," the demon whispered in an eerie echo. "Her pain is much tastier than yours," he said, taunting Inuyasha. She saw his eyes widen. "And the source of that pain is-" She couldn't let him tell Inuyasha why she was hurting so she shot an arrow, enraged that he would bare her soul when she was trying so desperately to hide.

"How dare you steal what's in my heart? That is mine to feel, and not yours to tell!" She yelled as she shot another arrow. They battled fiercely and eventually they won. She was exhausted. They left that town and didn't stop until nightfall. Inuyasha looked at her strangely.

"Hey guys, I'm going to take Kagome somewhere so that we can talk privately," Inuyasha said as he scooped her up. He cradled her bridal style instead of settling her on his back and she sensed something different in him. When they were entirely alone he sat her gently on a boulder and looked at her with understanding in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I was so caught up in my own pain that I didn't see that everyone else was hurting too. I didn't see that you were hurting. You've had one thing after another, and you put up a brave front, but it would be stupid of me to forget that you have more to hurt over than I do." He got down on his knees in front of her and stroked her face. He kissed her. Kagome sighed and leaned into the kiss. Comfort. He didn't want her, he wanted comfort. But it was a comfort she could give him, so they once again took solace in the most primitive way, through the joining of two bodies. She lay awake that night staring at the sky, wondering what was going to happen. There were so many things ahead of her and nothing she could do to stop her impending death. Would Inuyasha handle it well? Would he do what had to be done? She wasn't so sure. She sighed and drifted off to sleep thinking about how many problems she had to fix before she left this earth.

Three months later she encountered another problem.

. .

Kagome was resting in a village they'd stopped at while Inuyasha and the others were out searching the surrounding areas for information. She was feeling sick so they'd suggested she stay. Kagome hadn't protested. She felt a familiar presence enter the village and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She could still walk if she had to, but the pain was nearly unbearable, so Inuyasha had searched high and low until he'd found some crutches for her. She pulled them to her and stood, made her way outside and to the corner of the village. And there she spotted her.

"Hello Rin, what are you doing here?" Kagome asked kindly.

The little girl smiled at her. "Lord Sesshomaru is away and Master Jacken is a bad cook. Rin wanted some real food," she said with a grin. Kagome laughed.

"Why don't you come with me and I'll see what I can whip up." She turned and headed for the guest house they were staying in. When we got back Kagome found a rice ball and gave it to her to munch on while she heated up some noodles. It was then that she felt it. A miasma so strong it could only belong to Naraku. She ran outside ignoring her aching legs and saw that there was a barrier over the town. Her eyes went wide. She reached for her bow, notched and arrow and let it fly. It did nothing at all to dispel the barrier. And that's when she realized what he'd done; he'd trapped them in here with his miasma so that it would slowly poison them, and Inuyasha could watch the whole thing. Oh no. One by one those around her dropped. The hours dragged on. She did everything in her power to help them, but nothing seemed to stop them from dying in the end. Kagome's body was already poisoned and it was taking longer for it to affect her. Rin too was still alive, but she looked deathly pale. Kagome wrapped herself around her and pushed what little immunity to the poison her body still possessed at the little girl. She felt herself slip into darkness and she knew no more.

**I was paraphrasing. It's been a while since I've seen that episode and I don't know word for word what was said, but I got the gist of it down. Hope everyone enjoys it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter Three – Inuyasha's POV.**

Inuyasha watched helplessly as Kagome went about helping the town's people. Even the red Tetsusaiga hadn't been able to disintegrate the barrier. Miroku and Sango were doing everything they could and Inuyasha wasn't about to give up. He saw her drop to her knees and wrap her arms around that girl, Rin. Mere seconds later, she fell limply to the ground. Rin was crying.

"Dammit she's dying!" Inuyasha howled. He started at the barrier again, but it promptly evaporated. He rushed to Kagome. Sesshomaru, who'd been attempting to find a weak spot in the barrier, walked calmly towards Rin. She clung to him.

"She saved me Lord Sesshomaru," she sobbed. Inuyasha was desperately trying to wake Kagome up.

"Step aside Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said in that calm voice of his.

"No! I won't let her die!" he shouted.

"Step aside you foolish idiot," Sesshomaru growled. Inuyasha was about to retort when Rin tugged at his sleeve. Confused, he let himself be pulled away. Sesshomaru abruptly drew Tenseiga and sliced Kagome's stomach. Everyone cried out in alarm until they saw her chest start to rise and fall steadily. "Come on Rin," the older demon muttered and proceeded to walk away.

"Wait just a damn minute. How the hell did you do that?" Inuyasha yelled incredulously.

"Tenseiga is useless as a fighting sword; however it can be useful in bringing back the dead. Good day Inuyasha." He walked away and quickly disappeared from sight.

Inuyasha propped Kagome against his chest and listened to her breathing. He'd never heard a more soothing sound. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about how much it had hurt when he'd known she was dead. It had been unbearable. What was he going to do when this damn poison caught up to her? He shook his head, unable to think about it without wanting to whimper. He had to find a cure or something. There was no way he could lose her now; she meant more to him than anything. Hell, he'd even trade places with her if he could. Anything but losing her. She shifted in his arms and he held her tighter, trying to hold back the, um, never mind he doesn't cry.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered, looking up at him dazedly. He just held her closer unable to speak at the moment. "What's wrong?" she murmured gently as she reached up to stroke his face.

"Nothing. You're fine. You're going to be okay." His voice was entirely too shaky for his liking. And then the rest of the gang converged. Everyone was so relieved. Inuyasha wanted to get her away from that village before she remembered anything so that she wouldn't have to see the bodies. He scooped her up and took off, their friends following close behind. "Inuyasha, what…?" She gasped and her eyes went wide. "They were… They were… dying! All around me! And I couldn't help… Rin! Where's Rin?" she asked frantically, looking all around.

"Sesshomaru has her. She's alive. You saved her according to her. How could you be so stupid? We would have broken through eventually and Sesshomaru could have saved Rin."

"I didn't know that. And I wasn't about to let her die if I could help it," she said quietly. "She's just a child Inuyasha. I've already lived a full life."

"No you haven't. You haven't been married, you haven't had kids, you haven't even had a real boyfriend! How can you call that a full life?" he demanded. He knew she wasn't going to have time to do all of that, but he didn't want her giving up just yet. He wanted to give her something to hold on to. Besides, the closest thing to a boyfriend she could have was him or Koga and no way was he going to let Koga have her. He almost growled just at the thought. Which left him. Was he ready for that? The answer was sadly no, but he thought he could be, maybe even soon. After losing her once, he wanted to hold on to her and never let go. Maybe he should talk about it with her, when they had some privacy that was.

As though she was reading his mind she said, "The only person who would marry me at this point is Koga, and I get the feeling Ayame wouldn't like that so much. And besides, not everyone has to have kids. Do you want kids Inuyasha?"

"Hell no. With Naraku around they'd only be in danger. Why would I want to bring more people into a war? And even after that, I wouldn't know the slightest thing about raising a kid. I would be better off just letting that one go." He suddenly realized that he'd just taken away the things he'd had to give her to hold on to. Shit. He glanced down at her and saw her nod. She wasn't looking at him.

"I thought as much. See? I've lived a full life Inuyasha. No one will marry me, no one will be my boyfriend, and no one would want to have kids with me knowing that I'm going to die. There's nothing left for me to do."

"I… I could be your boyfriend…" he mumbled.

She laughed, just a breath of sound, and said, "Inuyasha, you could not. You're still in love with Kikyo."

"That's not true!" he said, staring down at her with wide eyes. Was that really what she thought? She gave him a look that clearly conveyed her disbelief. It really wasn't true. He hadn't been in love with Kikyo in a long time. Since that night he'd almost lost Kagome due to the miscarriage. He'd set Kikyo aside and made room for Kagome and even though he'd continued to chase Kikyo, it was out of concern for a friend he cared deeply for, not concern for a lover. He'd mated with Kagome; there was no going back now. Demons were very loyal once they'd chosen a mate and only something extreme could break that bond. Take Sesshomaru for example. He hated humans, and yet he'd fallen in love with one. She was still too young so he hadn't touched her yet, but he would, in time, claim her as his mate. You could already see that he was more than willing to die for her. From the moment Inuyasha had mated with Kagome he had accepted that one day he would marry her, and perhaps they'd even have kids. But right now, he wasn't ready for that. And he knew she wasn't either. Or, at least, he thought she wasn't. Kagome was so confusing that he rarely knew what she was thinking. Maybe he'd ask Sango. But the point was moot. She didn't even want to be his girlfriend because he hadn't done such a great job of convincing her that he was in love with her now. He would have to make up for that soon. For now he just sighed and accepted that he had his work cut out for him. He looked down at Kagome, who seemed to be deep in thought, and wondered how much time he really had left with her. Just as he'd seen today, people die all the time. He could have six months with her, or two days. There was no way of really knowing. And that scared him. He held her tighter and vowed to protect her better so that he could have every last minute with her. Because whether she believed it or not she was his world.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter Four – Miroku's POV.**

One month after the incident in which Kagome died they returned to Kaede for the third time in order to reinforce the seal. Kagome was exclusively on crutches now, unable to hold her weight up otherwise, but was almost always carried by Inuyasha. This was the sixth month, just as the priestess had predicted. Everyone was feeling lost now that they had proof that Kaede hadn't just been guessing. They had, at most, six more months with her. And she'd been pushing everyone away. Miroku knew that it was because she didn't want them to hurt for her when she was gone, but it was making Sango cry herself to sleep at night and Inuyasha no longer knew what to do with himself. Miroku knew that he would most likely be the one to say a last prayer over her when she died and the thought made his eyes sting. Death already held her in its clutches. Her legs, all the way up to the tops of her thighs according to Sango, were a strange grey color, as though they themselves had already died; they had also withered into narrow twigs, skin stretched tightly over bone. She was in constant pain, though she put up a brave front for their sakes. To think that most of her would look like that by the time her suffering ended made them all sick. She was going to die, slowly and painfully, and although they knew that the kindest thing to do would be to give her something that would make her pass in her sleep, easily and painlessly, none of them could bear to let her go just yet. She'd come to mean so much to them, so pure and selfless in every aspect. Miroku broke out of his reverie just in time to see the incredulous look on Kaede's face.

"Go outside young ones, and Inuyasha you must go to the edge of the village. I need a private word with Kagome." Kaede turned and shooed them out. Sango looked at him curiously. Was she, by some miracle, getting better? "No listening Inuyasha!" Kaede called and with a muttered curse the half demon stormed off to the edge of the village. Miroku shamelessly eavesdropped as best he could.

"What are they saying?" Sango asked quietly.

"Something about…" He froze and his eyes widened. "There's something that is keeping Kagome's body from purifying itself. Kaede wants to take it out now, but Kagome wants at least one more month and preferably two. Whatever it is has the potential to speed the poison along to her heart at an alarming rate after this seal weakens, but if the poison will hold off until they take this thing out then Kagome might be able to cure herself," he whispered urgently.

"What?" Sango gasped. "If we can get rid of whatever is causing her purifying powers to neglect her body then why isn't she going along with it?" Sango muttered furiously.

"I don't know, but I'm sure she has her reasons. We aren't supposed to know any of this so we can't say anything to her. And we probably shouldn't tell Inuyasha… She seems quite adamant that he not know about it." Miroku was greatly confused. He was glad that Shippo and Kirara had gone with Inuyasha so that Sango and Miroku had time to collaborate.

"Fine. We won't say anything. But when two months is up I expect a full explanation," Sango grumbled.

"I'm sure she'll be willing to give one at that time," Miroku reassured her. Not too long after they agreed to keep quiet Kaede came out.

"She's resting right now. I want her back every month for a reinforcement. Understood?" They both nodded. "Now go get Inuyasha before he throws a fit." They quickly went to collect the half demon. Kagome continued to push them away as the month passed and when they returned again everyone was at the end of their rope. That's when it happened. While Kagome was being seen to by Kaede they felt him, Naraku. Inuyasha didn't think twice before racing towards him and Sango and Miroku had no choice but to follow. Somehow they ended up at Inuyasha's tree as opposed to Onigumo's cave as Miroku had thought they would. Naraku wasn't just here to be here then; he was here to finish them. Inuyasha went rushing in recklessly and Miroku saw it all happen as though in slow motion. Naraku plunged what looked like a giant stinger into Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha ripped it out and threw it away, obviously unaffected by it and started towards Naraku again. The evil man possessed a wicked smirk and Miroku found himself watching Inuyasha worriedly. And then he froze, hands in the air and wrapped securely around Tetsusaiga. He dropped the sword and brought his hands down to clutch at his heart. Sango froze and stared at Inuyasha. He turned to them eyes wide and mouth open though no sound came out. And then he fell, slowly, and they winced at the sound he made as his back hit the ground with enough force to make him bounce. He laid there, gasping for breath, and when they tried to rush to him he erected some sort of barrier. He stared at them wildly and then his eyes fluttered shut. Naraku laughed demonically.

"No!" Kagome cried and Miroku swung around. Kagome was rushing towards them on her crutches with Kaede by her side. She pulled her bow and notched an arrow, aiming at the barrier. It bounced off. She tried again, though this time she aimed at Naraku. He dodged it easily and laughed again. She looked at Inuyasha's seizing body desperately and then turned to Kaede. "Please," she whispered. "You know what to do." Kaede cried out in dismay and made to reach for her, but she had already launched herself at the barrier and gone through it. Everyone stared in surprise.

"Get her out!" Kaede instructed fearfully. Miroku tried the barrier again, but to no avail. He watched helplessly as she cut herself on the dull blade of Tetsusaiga in its original state. She placed her hands over his wound and breathed in. He heard her gasp and her jaw clenched in pain. Inuyasha stopped shuddering and jerking. She breathed out, expelling all the air in her lungs. And Inuyasha's hair turned black. Miroku's eyes widened and Sango gasped.

"What is she doing!?" Naraku shrieked. She breathed in again and his hair slowly started returning to normal. He was so still. She was trembling. And suddenly, just as she finished drawing in a breath, Naraku struck out at her, breaking the barrier and knocking her away. They heard a crunch as she hit the tree and her breath left her in a scream. Her eyes looked dazed for a brief moment and then they fluttered shut as she fell unceremoniously to the ground. Miroku, Sango and Kaede all rushed to her side. They heard groaning and turned to see that Inuyasha was sitting up.

"I feel dizzy," he grumbled.

"I would imagine after you had all of your blood removed from your body and switched with Kagome's. Don't worry. She managed to get some of yours back in. But now her body is fighting the poison in its weakened state and I don't think she's going to make it," Kaede said quietly. Everyone stared at her wide eyed. Inuyasha let out a strangled cry and rushed at Naraku. He was relentless, merciless, and he managed to put an end to him once and for all. It seemed almost ridiculously easy, but they had a lot of things working in their favor, along with some of Kagome's essence running through his veins. He turned, dropping his sword and ran back to Kagome. He cradled her and they all pretended he wasn't crying. "Help me get her back to my hut, but be very careful with her. I suspect she has a severed spine. I have a last request to fulfill." Inuyasha carried her clutched tightly to his chest. He laid her gently on the bed and turned to leave.

"I'll be back," he growled and took off out the door. Kaede shooed them out. And again Miroku listened shamelessly. "Damn Kagome, I am afraid I cannot do as you have asked," she muttered after a moment. "Your body is in overdrive and nothing I have will cut your skin. I am terribly sorry child. Perhaps your body will do what it needs to do until you pass. At that point I will try again. Until then, I'll leave you to your own devices." Miroku scrambled to get away from the door and act casual before Kaede came out the door. "Where did that mutt go? I'm sure she would want him by her side at such a time."

"We don't know," Sango replied. "He just left. Didn't tell us where he was going. He did say he'd be back though."

"Not soon enough. I don't expect her to make it through the night." And with that she left. Shippo started crying and Sango attempted to comfort him, but Kirara ended up comforting both of them. Miroku slowly bent down and wrapped his arms around the woman he'd come to love so dearly. He hated that Kagome was dying, but he was guiltily happy that Sango was alive and healthy. He didn't know if he could bear to lose her. He settled himself on the ground and accepted that he was in for the long haul.

**Don't kill me just yet. It is not what it seems. You'll see. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter Five – Inuyasha's POV.**

Inuyasha searched frantically for the person he was seeking. Why did Sesshomaru have to be so far away at a time like this? It was already going to take a great deal to convince him to help, but Inuyasha was convinced that it was possible because he'd helped once before. He traveled for three days non-stop at a steady pace before he finally managed to locate him.

"What do you want Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked coldly.

"Your sword," Inuyasha said, not wasting any time. "Kagome, she saved me and now she's dying. We have to hurry! I don't know how long she can hold out." He tried not to think about the very real possibility that she was already gone. Sesshomaru turned away from him.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha, I cannot." He started to walk away.

"What do you mean you can't you bastard?" Inuyasha yelled in outrage. He was contemplating tackling him and beating him to a bloody pulp when Sesshomaru stopped walking and turned his head.

"Tenseiga can only save someone from death once. There is nothing I can do." This time Inuyasha let him go. He felt despair claw at his chest as he rushed back to Kagome. Maybe she would pull through this. Maybe Kaede would be able to cure her. Maybe… He finally allowed his mind to think it. Maybe he would make it back in time to say goodbye. The thought nearly had him doubling over in grief, but it drove him to push harder. She only had so much time and he didn't want her to go while he wasn't by her side.

He was exhausted by the time he returned. Miroku was sitting outside the hut looking troubled. "How… How is she?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Inuyasha… None of us can explain it. We've been waiting for you to return so that you might be able to find whoever did it." He looked unbearably sad.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked slowly.

"Kagome disappeared. We went in to check on her the morning after, to see if she'd made it through the night, but she was gone. Whoever took her left no traces behind, but we thought you might be able to track their scent." Miroku looked ashamed. Inuyasha raced into the hut and stared at the people in it in disbelief. Sango just looked at him apologetically before turning away. Not before he saw her tears though. There was a smell and it was nearly overwhelming in the small enclosure. And it led outside. He wondered how he'd managed to miss that on the way in. Whoever that was Inuyasha was going to make sure they paid. He turned to head out.

"Are we going to go get her body back?" Shippo asked quietly. Inuyasha stiffened. That was still too painful to think about. He carefully tamped down his grief; if he grieved for her he'd be admitting that she was really gone.

"We're going to bring her home," he replied as he began following the scent. They followed it for days until one day, on their eighth day of searching, it vanished. Inuyasha wasn't sure how that had happened when the trail was so strong. He nearly went mad. And so they plundered on aimlessly refusing to give up. Sango, Miroku and shippo had already accepted in their hearts that Kagome was at peace and that they'd probably never lay eyes on her remains. Inuyasha refused to believe that, couldn't accept it. In a small part of his mind he knew that he was using her disappearance as an excuse to not let her go, but he didn't care. He needed her in a way that defied logic, and he simply couldn't let go. Somewhere along the way they picked up Sango's brother Kohaku. He went along with them in compliance with his sister's wishes and even though Inuyasha knew that Sango only wanted him there as her brother he couldn't help feeling as though they were trying to fill the void left by Kagome. He never really grew close to the stand in; no one would ever measure up to the person he loved.

He laid awake most nights thinking about the life they could have had, wondering how it was possible for one person to mean so much to another. He missed her terribly. Sango and Miroku were engaged, only waiting on Inuyasha to let Kagome go so that they could lay her memory to rest and get married, start a family. He envied them. Kagome had asked him once if he wanted kids and he found himself coming back to that question. Then he had said no, but now he wasn't so sure. The idea of having kids with Kagome appealed to him. He tried to pretend that it was still a possibility. He wished he'd told her yes. He wished he'd done a lot of things. His regrets were many and there was nothing he could do to shake them. Three years had passed without her by the time he was finally able to grieve. He held the locket she'd given him in his hands protectively, stroked his fingers over it. And he cried. He would never admit to it, but the pain was finally too much and he'd held it all inside for entirely too long. That night he changed, became more cynical and less boisterous. A small part of himself that belonged only to her was locked away in a drawer along with her memories. Subconsciously he never stopped looking, but that night he quit actively trying. Miroku and Sango got married. Shippo got a girlfriend. Kohaku grew into a very sensible young man, though he claimed he would never marry due to the simple fact that he could never trust someone enough to care for them. Sesshomaru was actively courting Rin now that she was almost old enough to marry. And Inuyasha stood calmly by and watched all of this with no emotion in his eyes. Life moved on without him.

**If I was evil I'd leave it there… but I'm not **_**that**_** evil. XD I know it's short, but keep reading. I promise next chapter will explain everything.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter Six – Kagome's POV.**

"Kagome!" Koga called as he came rushing up to her.

"What?" she asked curiously. Koga was rarely this rattled.

"We have visitors…" he murmured. He was watching her carefully, worry in his eyes. Kagome stiffened in surprise.

"You mean…?" she whispered. He nodded slowly. "Where?"

"On the other side of the bridge fighting off a demon. What are you going to do?"

"You stay here with… and I'll go…" She was having trouble focusing. She hadn't anticipated this and she was secretly freaking out. Koga slowly nodded. She took off at top speed unsure of what she was actually going to do when she got there. She came to a stop just before the cliff, hiding in the trees. And she saw them. Inuyasha with his Tetsusaiga out and aimed at the giant centipede. Sango was hanging back with Kirara and she was clutching something close to her in a protective way. Miroku was there to back Inuyasha up, and several other people she wasn't too sure of surrounded him. And now she had to make her decision. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and reached for an arrow. Without giving herself time to think she shot the creature in the head and it disappeared. She heard their surprised cries across the chasm.

"A sacred arrow!" Sango gasped in disbelief. They all looked around.

"It's that strange scent again," Inuyasha said excitedly. He started towards the bridge, but she beat him there. She was across and standing in front of them in seconds. Now that she was this close she recognized two of the people as grown up versions of Kohaku and Shippo. There was also a girl with them that she didn't recognize and the thing Sango was clutching was a baby. Everyone stared. She knew they were sifting through her features to determine whether or not it was really her. A lot had changed in the last five years. She now possessed shock white hair and pointy dog ears, just like Inuyasha.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered brokenly.

"Hello Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku." She turned to Shippo and Kohaku. "You two have grown a lot since I last saw you. You're both taller than me." And then Sango was gripping her in a fierce hug, the baby struggling uncomfortably between them. She was also round with child. Kagome was surprised that she and Miroku were spitting them out so quick. Had they finally married then?

"We thought…" she whispered as her tears ran down Kagome's neck.

"Excuse her. She's overly emotional when she's pregnant," Miroku said with a huge grin. "It is good to see you again. Would you mind explaining things to us?" he asked in a boisterous voice. She saw the way Inuyasha was looking at her, as though he'd been gut punched. She was about to open her mouth to suggest that they go to the village and discuss this when a high pitched cry reached their ears.

"Mommy!" She spun around just in time for a little ball of hair and limbs to fly into her arms.

"Mari!" Kagome admonished. "I told you to stay in the village." She glanced behind her to see Koga running up to them.

"Sorry Kagome. The little runt got away while I was yelling at Ginta and Hakkaku." He sent the little girl an exasperated look. She giggled and then wrapped her arms around Kagome's neck.

"I just wanted to see who the visitors were," she said before peeking over at the group.

"I should have known you were listening," Kagome said with a sigh. She rested her forehead against her daughter's and looked her in the eyes. "Why don't you take them back to the camp while Koga and I talk, okay?"

Mari nodded. "Okay Mommy." She wriggled until Kagome set her down and then ran up to the others. She stared at them curiously. "You must be Sango," she said, eyeing her with some interest. She looked at the baby excitedly. She'd only ever seen Koga's daughter before. "And you must be Miroku. Mama says you're a lecher," she said and cocked her head. "What's a lecher?"

"I suppose it's what I am," Miroku said as he tried not to laugh. Sango was snickering.

Mari sighed. "No one EVER answers that question. You must be Shippo," she said as she turned to the fox demon. "Who's she?" she asked as she looked at the young lady with him.

"Uh, Satsuki," he mumbled, staring at Mari. "She's my girlfriend. Who are you?" Kohaku slapped him.

"He likes to blurt things out. I apologize for him," Kohaku said.

"You're Kohaku, right? You look a lot like Sango."

"That's correct."

"I'm Mari. You can follow me now." She turned and headed back across the bridge.

Koga turned to Kagome. "What are you going to tell them? Are you going to tell them the truth about Mari?"

"I can't," Kagome groaned. "Inuyasha told me his opinion on the matter. I'll tell them the truth about what happened that night, but I'll have to leave out a few details. I need you to pretend to be Mari's father, okay?"

"Kagome, what about Ayame? And Sakura? Don't you think they'll catch on with them around?" Koga asked gently.

"I'll talk to Ayame, see if she'll lie low for a little while. Please do this for me?" she begged.

"I'll think about it. Why don't you just tell them the truth? Mari knows, and she doesn't care if she has a father or not."

"I just don't want her to face rejection like I did. I don't want her to go through that pain. I can't… I can't hear him say it again. _I_ can't go through that again…" And that was the truth. She wanted to protect her daughter from disappointment, but she knew that Maki was secure in the knowledge that she was loved by everyone in the clan. She really didn't need a father and wouldn't be upset if Inuyasha turned her away. Kagome, however, couldn't hear him say he didn't want them again. She just couldn't bear it.

Koga looked at her sympathetically. "Tell them the truth Kagome." He kissed her hands and walked away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter Seven – Miroku's POV.**

He couldn't stop staring at Mari. She had long white hair that went down to her knees and the same ears as Inuyasha. She had his eyes as well. Miroku could feel Sango watching the girl intently. The girl kept glancing at Inuyasha whenever she was sure he wasn't looking.

"So, is Koga your dad?" Inuyasha asked grumpily. It was the first time he'd spoken since Kagome had appeared. Miroku almost snickered and Sango shook with laughter right next to him.

Mari's eyes went wide and then she giggled. "No. He's married to Ayame and they have a little girl named Sakura."

"Then one of the other people in the village?" Inuyasha pressed.

"No. I've never met my father before," Mari said solemnly. She peeked up at Inuyasha.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Just turned five!" she chirped happily. Another glance.

"Do you think he's figured it out yet?" Shippo whispered to them as they all lagged behind to see where this went.

"Then I must have met your father," he said in confusion. He sniffed the air and his eyes widened. "Is it Sesshomaru?" he gasped in outrage. Mari broke into a fit of giggles, but managed to shake her head.

"Apparently not," Kohaku murmured. Sango buried her face in their son Daisuke and took deep breaths. Miroku couldn't restrain a grin.

"Are you going to tell me who it is?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Nope," she said, popping the 'p'.

"Do you even know who it is?" he asked.

"Yep," she said in the exact same manner.

"Don't you want to meet him?" Inuyasha asked suddenly.

Mari grew serious. "I would like to meet him, but Mama's scared because he doesn't want me. She doesn't want me to get hurt. She doesn't know that if he still didn't want me now that would be okay, because she loves me enough for the both of them." Another peek at Inuyasha. Then, suddenly, "You're not as loud as Mama said you were."

Miroku saw the outraged look on his face and sighed in relief. The old him was starting to come back. "Some people grow up you know," he muttered.

"I suppose," Mari murmured. That just got Inuyasha even more worked up. They reached the camp.

"Well today is going to be interesting. Do you think he'll figure it out first, or will Kagome have to tell him?" Miroku asked of the group.

"Kagome," Sango, Shippo, Kohaku and Satsuki said in unison.

"That's what I thought," Miroku said with a smirk. Kagome caught up to them shortly and showed them around. She sat them around a fire after the tour and made a late lunch. Miroku watched in amusement as Mari discreetly watched Inuyasha, Kagome worriedly watched Mari and Inuyasha's reaction, and Inuyasha remained oblivious. Eventually Sango pulled Kagome aside and Miroku was just able to hear their conversation.

"Are you going to tell him?" she asked in a near whisper.

"Tell who what?" Kagome asked playing dumb. She wouldn't meet Sango's eyes.

"Inuyasha that he's Mari's father," she said, cutting to the chase.

Kagome flinched. "No, I hadn't planned on it." She gave Sango a helpless look. "He doesn't want her Sango. He doesn't want either of us. That's why…"

"That's why you left," Sango finished for her. "We thought you were kidnapped you know. You just disappear without a trace when you're on your deathbed and there's a strange new scent all over the place. We were so worried."

"I'm sorry. I was just so confused when I woke up, and I couldn't face him knowing he didn't care." Her voice sounded heartbroken and Sango gave her a comforting hug.

"I understand. But he's changed Kagome. You should tell him."

"Okay," she said shakily. "But I'll wait 'til Mari's asleep so that she won't have to know if he rejects us again." She closed her eyes in pain. Sango hugged her tighter. Just then Daisuke made a fuss and the women came back over.

"You'll have to tell us how you went from a nearly dead human to a healthy half-demon," Miroku said quietly, but Inuyasha heard. His head shot up and he looked at Kagome questioningly. She sighed and sat down.

"When Inuyasha was poisoned the only thing I could think of was to remove the poison and take it into myself. I pulled his blood out and pushed mine in to keep him alive and to remove the poison. I stored it in a little pocket I managed to create and pushed his blood back into him, but the connection was broken before I could give it all back. My purifying powers weren't working on my body because they were busy protecting Mari." She paused here to give Mari a gentle squeeze. "However, because I had some of Inuyasha's blood inside me it attacked my normal cells and started the regeneration process. They did what my powers had failed to do and fought both of the poisons inside me. And they won. When I awoke I felt different. I was unbearably confused. And I had become what I am now. And the rest is another story that I don't wish to go into at the moment." They all nodded and let it end with that. Inuyasha, it was clear, was only biding his time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter Eight – Inuyasha's POV.**

Her story didn't make much sense and didn't answer a lot of questions. Sure it explained how she'd become a half demon, but it just served to confuse him more. She was well when she'd woken up. Why had she left? Whose child was she carrying? Why had she come to Koga instead of remaining with Inuyasha? Why had she never returned? He had a lot of questions and, damn it all, he was going to get some answers, and soon. The old him would have demanded his answers immediately. Now, he would wait, but only until they had a little privacy. He saw the nervous glances she kept shooting her daughter and assumed it was something she didn't want her to hear. That was fine, but she would explain before the night was up. He'd make sure of it.

Hours of pointless chatter passed and night finally fell. "Mari, it's time for bed," Kagome said to the sleepy little girl.

"But Mama, I don't want to go to sleep just yet," she murmured. She glanced up at Inuyasha and he found himself wondering for the hundredth time why she was watching him. He'd been thinking things through while he waited and he had a sneaking suspicion. One he would voice very soon.

"I know love, but you must. Come on, I'll tuck you in." Inuyasha watched as she led the little girl away from the tent that was obviously theirs. Where was she going?

"It's time we settle in as well," Miroku said suddenly and they stood up. "We'll camp out under the stars tonight," he said and they went off to the edge of the village to make camp. And now it was time. Kagome came back to the fire and noticed the fact that Inuyasha was alone. She approached him slowly.

And perhaps some of his old self had returned for he found himself blurting, "She's my daughter isn't she?" Kagome froze in her tracks. "She knows it too, that's why she keeps looking at me." He saw the truth in her eyes and the way she lowered her face in guilt. "You weren't going to tell me were you?"

"No. I didn't see any reason to," she said quietly.

"No reason? She's my daughter! I was madly in love with you and you just up and left and broke my heart and took my daughter with you! I think I deserve an explanation!" he shouted. She looked as though he'd slapped her.

"What on earth are you talking about?" she whispered.

"Exactly what I just said."

She shook her head in denial. "You didn't want us. You didn't want either of us. What right do you have to pretend you did?"

"Now it's you who isn't making any sense," he said his eyes wide.

"I asked you if you wanted children and you told me no. I thought, perhaps, that when the time came I could convince you, but when I was dying, when you should have been there, you were nowhere to be found! You left us and you didn't care!' she finished as tears poured down her cheeks. She swiped at them furiously. And he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled her into his arms. She struggled, but he just tucked her head under his chin and stroked her hair.

"You're wrong. I didn't leave you. I was trying to save you. I went to find Sesshomaru. When he told me that Tenseiga can only bring the dead back once, I was devastated. I raced back to you as fast as I could, but by the time I got back you were gone. And as for Mari, when you asked I had no way of knowing you were serious. When I said I didn't want children what I really meant was that I would have preferred to wait. You were so young, and even though I'd lived for several decades I was still pretty immature. And we still had Naraku to take care of. It wasn't safe to have a child with him around. I never, ever meant that I wouldn't want a child that was already there. Of course I want Mari, and ever since you disappeared I've regretted not having a child with you." He held her close as sobs wracked her body. "I love you Kagome," he breathed into her ear.

She clutched at him. "I love you Inuyasha," she muttered. He tilted her head up with his finger under her chin and kissed her until both of their knees were week. She pulled him inside her tent.

**And you can use your imagination from there. If you want I'll do a small side chapter with a sex scene. Let me know. Since I'm pretty sure it's going to happen I'm leaving this chapter where it's at. It's short on purpose.**


	9. Chapter 8 Part II

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter Eight Part Two – Inuyasha's POV. Rated MA for eighteen and older! **

It was nothing like either of the times they'd done this before. This time they weren't comforting, they were exploring. He'd never really stopped and looked at her before. Now he did. As he removed her shirt he let his thumbs brush against her breasts, allowed his eyes to linger on them. They were plump and filled out his palms quite nicely when he cupped them. His eyes wandered further. Her waist was just as small as he remembered and it made him wonder how she'd been able to hide her entire pregnancy. She hadn't gained any weight that he'd noticed and he'd been carrying her a lot back then. Her hips were slightly wider than he remembered, the only sign she'd ever carried a child in her. He pushed down the skirt she wore and let his eyes drink in the rest. Where once her flesh had been withered, it was now healthy and supple. It made him happy that she'd at least regained the use of her legs. He noticed the swell of his favorite part of her anatomy and he couldn't help himself. He reached behind her and cupped her cheeks, pulled her firmly against him. She was blushing and he realized he must have been making her nervous with his perusal.

He kissed her tenderly in order to reassure her and then pulled back to look her firmly in the eye. "You're beautiful. You always have been." She flushed harder and ducked her head. She may have grown up, but in a lot of ways she was still an inexperienced school girl. He pulled his shirt off and gave her time to do what he'd just done. He saw her looking at his chest with longing and it sent a jolt of pleasure straight down his spine. She reached out and brushed his skin with her fingertips, just a light caress from shoulder to stomach. It made him shiver with want. God it had been too long, and it had never been like this before, with all of their feelings out in the open and nothing making them rush. He decided he wanted to underscore that point. "I love you Kagome," he murmured and once again claimed her mouth in a slow, passionate kiss. She melted against him.

He ran his fingers through her hair, brushed them lightly over the back of her neck. She trembled in his arms, just as hungry for this as he was. He felt her shove his pants down and grabbed her hands to slow this down. He was going to take his time this time. He trailed kisses down to her neck before latching on and sucking languidly. She moaned and once again shuddered against him. He massaged the muscles in her lower back and felt her turning to putty in his hands. He made his way down to the swell of flesh that so intrigued him and gently took one of her nipples into his mouth. She cried out, muffling the sound with her fist, and arched her back. He continued to suckle her for a moment before switching to the other. Once he was satisfied with his work he dropped to his knees trailing kisses along the way. He nibbled at her hip and was rewarded with another moan. Then he went lower and ended up holding her weight on his forearms as she collapsed from the pleasure.

Her fingers tangled in his hair and she whimpered as her pleasure started to escalate. He gently moved away and stood again so that he could kiss her once more. Her hand reached out to shyly touch him and he groaned harshly against her mouth. His breathing hitched when she wrapped her fingers around him and moved her hand up and down experimentally. He once again shackled her wrists. If she kept doing that he was going to cum. He looked into her eyes and saw only love hazed over with passion. At this moment there was no uncertainty and that was his most important objective in this. Never breaking eye contact he lifted her with just his hands on her waist and slowly eased her down.

As he began to enter her she started panting. He realized that even though he'd moistened her she was still extremely tight. Well duh, she hadn't been with anyone in more than half a decade. He carefully eased her back up enough to get his hand between them. He prodded at her with one finger. She didn't seem to mind so he pressed it completely into her. She gasped and arched against him once more, clamping down as she did so. He couldn't believe how tight she was. He moved his finger in and out until she loosened up a little then managed, barely, to squeeze another in. Her hips rocked against his fingers as he eased her into a higher state of arousal. When she was making needy noises in the back of her throat he pulled them out and once again positioned her to slide down onto him. It was still difficult, but this time it was far from uncomfortable for either of them.

He began a slow and steady rhythm as he waited for her to adjust. When she was attempting to speed things up on her own he started pumping into her faster. "Oh God Inuyasha, more…" she breathed. He growled fiercely and moved harder, deeper. The noises she was making were driving him crazy and he was getting close. He reached between them and began to put light pressure on the one spot that was guaranteed to make her cum. He would never admit to listening to Miroku's trashy sex talk, but he had to hand it to the guy, he knew his stuff. Kagome was screaming into his shoulder within seconds and he felt her clamp down almost painfully around him. He pumped a few more times and then gave in to his own orgasm. He kissed her as he eased them down so that he was holding her but she could still rest. The activities seemed to have drained her. Then again, they'd always had that effect on her. She snuggled up to him and he found himself enjoying it immensely. He pulled her closer and stroked her hair. As she was drifting off her heard her murmur, "I love you too Inuyasha." For the first time in a long time he had everything he could possible want. Nothing could keep the smile from his face.


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter Nine – Inuyasha's POV.**

The next morning was awkward, not for me but for her. When she woke up she started getting dressed and she wouldn't look at me. I tried to slow her down, make her tell me why she was acting like that, but she just ran off saying she had some things to do. She was acting like last night was a mistake and that didn't sit well with me. I walked around until I ran into Mari. She was staring up at me curiously.

"Hey Mari," he said with a smile. "Where did you go last night?"

"Mama took me to Koga's and Ayame's. I got to play with their daughter this morning."

"That's nice. How old is she?" he asked indulgently. He wasn't used to being around kids, but with Mari it just seemed to come naturally.

"She's just a toddler. But she's really cute so I don't mind," she said with a grin.

"Hey Mari, you want to show me around today? I thought maybe we could spend some time together, just the two of us." He saw her studying him cautiously. "You're mother told me," he murmured.

"So you know who I am?" she asked, looking at the ground and scuffing her foot in the dirt.

"I do. And that's why I want to get to know you better." She looked up at him hopefully.

"Are you just saying that to be nice or do you really mean it?" she asked quietly.

"I really mean it. And I need your help with your mom also. I don't think she believes what I told her and I really want you guys to come back with me."

Her eyes lit up and she squealed. "I knew it! I told her she shouldn't worry!" She jumped on him and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her experimentally and her happiness seemed to climb. She pulled back and looked at him with joyful eyes. "So what do you need me to do?"

"Pester her," he said with a grin. "We can both bring it up as often as possible and maybe then she'll agree. But for now, I just want to talk to you, so why don't you give me that tour?" She nodded and hopped down.

"Whatcha wanna talk about?" she asked in a sing-song voice as she grabbed his hand and led her around. He gently squeezed her hand in return.

"Well, everything. I want to know about you. What's your favorite food, favorite color, favorite game. Who do you play with and what do you do with your free time? Everything." She seemed pleased and she proceeded to answer all of his questions. The she turned to him with a startlingly somber expression.

"Why did you leave mommy?"

He was surprised. Apparently her mother shared everything with her. "I didn't," he said softly. "It was a misunderstanding. All of it. If I would have known she was pregnant of course I would have wanted you in my life. When I told her I didn't want kids I just meant that I wanted to wait until we were older and the danger had passed. And when she woke up and I wasn't there, I was on my way back from chasing down Sesshomaru to beg him to save her again. He told me Tenseiga can only save someone once and I rushed back to be with her, to see if I could find some other way. I wasn't ready to lose her. I don't think I ever will be." She looked like she was fighting tears and she gripped his legs tightly as she buried her face in his thigh.

"I knew she was wrong. I knew you wanted us. I'm just sad that she didn't know it." Her voice was muffled by his pants, but he still heard her.

"Yeah, me too Kid," he said as her rubbed her back soothingly. She pulled away and gave him a watery smile.

"Come on. I'll introduce you to Sakura and Ayame." He allowed her to pull him along once more. He was sad that it had taken so long for him to find them, too long for this little girl's scars to be erased by the passing of time. For his _daughter's_ scars to be erased. She would always remember a life in which her father didn't want her. He swore right then and there that he would always be there for her from now on. He'd give anything to keep a smile on her face and hear her laughter. He wasn't going to let go now that he had something to hold onto. As they approached their destination he was vaguely aware of Kagome and the rest of the group standing not too far away and looking at him curiously. Kagome looked worried and he saw her eyes widen when she saw that her daughter was holding hands with him. But she turned away and went back to whatever she had previously been doing. He got the message. She was his daughter now too and she accepted that. He was glad. Now he just had to convince her that she was his too.

The visit with Ayame was eventful. He had to admit that her baby was rather cute, he was just a little put off by all the slobber and crying. He was never good with people who were crying. After they left they walked around a little more and Mari took him to her favorite spot in the whole village. It was a small pond on the outskirts of the encampment and it proved to be naturally warmer water, as though it got its water from a hot springs somewhere. They dipped their feet in and watched the sun set. Both of them were pretty worn out after their long day and she had finally fallen silent. He assumed she'd just run out of things to say. She leaned against him and he put an arm around her shoulders pulling her close. She snuggled into his side and he soon found out that her lack of speech was not due to lack of subjects to discuss but out of exhaustion. Her soft snores reached his ears and he smiled. He could get used to this. He picked her up and laid her head on his shoulder. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and went back to snoring. He walked slowly back to Kagome's tent. She seemed a little choked up to see them like that, but she quickly took possession of Mari and took her inside to get her settled in for the night. When she came back out she once again wouldn't look at him.

"I suppose you'll be sleeping with the gang tonight?" she asked the ground.

"I suppose I will," he said slowly. "Unless you want me to stay," he offered. Her face turned a bright shade of pink.

"Goodnight," she muttered and rushed into her hut. He sighed and made his way over to the bonfire his friends had set up. No one interrupted him having learned that he preferred to be left alone while he was thinking. For that he was grateful. He sighed again and laid back on the grass to stare at the stars. He would make her see that he wasn't lying, and that she had to come with him. But for now it looked like she was trying to ignore that and he wasn't up for a fight tonight. Tomorrow Mari would start helping to persuade her. Until then he'd just let her stew in her own thoughts. Having resolved that issue he found that he was able to fall asleep. He dreamed of weddings and the most beautiful flower girl in the history of the world. And he was happy.


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter Ten – Kagome's POV.**

Kagome watched Inuyasha and Mari the best she could, but they kept disappearing on her and her friends weren't really helping. The rest of the group had commandeered her as soon as she'd set foot out of her tent that morning and Inuyasha had managed to spirit her daughter away. She didn't mind… much. She was just worried. He wasn't exactly good with kids… Every time she caught a glimpse of them Mari seemed happy though, and Inuyasha seemed to be staying well within the village. She sighed.

Waking up beside him that morning had damn near given her a heart attack. She didn't know what she'd been thinking when she'd invited him into her tent. What was she, stupid? She couldn't leave this village and Mari certainly wasn't going anywhere without her. The best thing would be to send them on their way with a vague visit planned for in the future. She knew there was no way Inuyasha would want to stay here and that just meant she was on borrowed time with him. Sleeping with him had been stupid. It wasn't as if they could get married…

And that's how she found herself fantasizing about weddings and children as she forgot that she was eating lunch. "–gome? Kagome? Hello?" Sango was saying, waving her hand in front of her face. Kagome snapped out of her daydream with a blush and saw the others grinning at her.

"Um, I'm sorry. What were you saying?" she murmured embarrassedly.

"We were saying that it would be nice if you joined the group again. For good," Miroku clarified.

"We've really missed you Kagome," Shippo added.

Kagome sighed. She'd known they'd get to this sooner or later. "Guys, it's not like I don't want to be with you. I miss you very much. But things just aren't the same anymore. My place is here. This is all Mari has ever known, I can't take her away from it."

"We understand," Kohaku said right when his sister made to protest. She looked grumpy as she snapped her mouth shut and glared at her food. Miroku took it from her and set it down before reaching to take the baby from Kohaku and hand it to his wife. Sango seemed to settle almost immediately. The change was actually kind of scary to watch. Kagome felt bad that she'd hurt her friends and she was grateful to Miroku for helping to clear the tension in the air, but she really wished they'd been able to accept her decision even though she knew they didn't like it. She couldn't just uproot her life to go chasing after the past. And besides, living with Inuyasha constantly by her side again would be awkward. He may think he loved her now that she was back from the dead, but the truth was that he never had and never would. She'd accepted that, moved on. Hadn't she? Seeing him with Mari seemed to undermine that certainty. That wasn't good.

She felt the frown on her face and made a conscious effort to make her expression smooth and blank. It didn't really work. Everyone was staring at her and she was suddenly becoming self conscious. She felt the blush rise to her cheeks and cursed the return to her old habits. How quickly they could be dredged up. She glanced up and saw that they'd been attempting to talk to her again. And she'd been spacing out. Again. She sighed and made a concerted effort to listen.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I seem to be a little disoriented today."

Miroku grinned roguishly. "That's quite understandable. When you take part in forbidden pleasure only once every five years that tends to happen."

Kagome felt her eyes bug out of her skull as she simultaneously died of embarrassment. Sango very calmly reached out and slapped him. Hard. "Lecher," she muttered. Talking just didn't seem like it was going to work right now so the group fell into a comfortable silence. Just after sunset Inuyasha finally brought her daughter back. Mari was sleeping in his arms and he looked so natural carrying her like that. It didn't seem to bother him at all. Then again, he was used to carrying people. She found herself blushing and mentally cursed. As soon as Inuyasha came close enough she took her daughter from him and carried her into the tent. Her daughter. She kept thinking of it like that, but that was wrong. She was his daughter now too. She was _their_ daughter. She wasn't sure what to think of that. Slowly she walked back out. She found she couldn't look at him.

"I suppose you'll be sleeping with the gang tonight?" she murmured. She didn't have to be looking at him to know he wasn't too happy with that dismissal.

"I suppose I will," he said calmly. His voice sounded hesitant and questioning, but she still couldn't bear to look at him. She was terribly afraid that if she did she would fall all over again. "Unless you want me to stay." His voice was soft and undemanding, not in the least suggestive, but she still found herself flushing scarlet.

"Goodnight," she said quickly and rushed back into her tent. She waited until she heard his footsteps that signaled his retreat before breathing a sigh of relief. What was wrong with her? This shouldn't be so hard. She had been without him for the last five years and she'd been just fine. Nothing had changed. Except that he was here now and it would be only too nice to believe what he said. It was so tempting to just throw common sense aside and grab this moment as though her very life depended on it. But the thought of Mari going through that heartbreak was what brought her back to her senses. She couldn't do that to her daughter. _Their daughter,_ a little voice reminded her. She quickly squashed it. He may have matured to some degree, but people never changed. Somewhere underneath that calm exterior was the man who had harshly pulverized her childish fantasies. It was hard to reconcile the two. Still, that didn't change the fact. He'd hurt them once and he'd do it again. But oh how she wished it was otherwise. She laid down next to their-_her _daughter and held her close. They would be just fine on their own. She knew that, and still… she spent the night drowning herself in a river of 'what ifs'. It was safe to say she didn't get any sleep that night.

**Sorry it's short guys, but that's as much as I could come up with. I'm an expert at going in circles with myself… but it's still going in circles, and that gets old fast. So I hope it wasn't too bad. Let me know what you think. **


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter Eleven – Kagome's POV.**

The first thing out of her daughter's mouth the next morning was, "Mommy? Can we go live with Daddy now?" Kagome stared at her daughter, dumbfounded.

"No sweetheart," she murmured trying to regain her composure. "Our place is here." Inuyasha had to have put her up to this. They'd gotten ready for the day and gone to see Koga and Ayame, and she'd momentarily forgotten about it. Mari had gone to play with Sakura and Ayame had pulled Kagome aside for a private conversation.

"So when are you guys leaving?" she asked curiously.

"L-leaving?" Kagome stammered, unable to believe that everyone had suddenly accepted that she should go with Inuyasha. Ayame raised a delicate brow.

"You can't be serious. The man spends five years looking for you, and now that you can finally resolve things you're just going to let him walk away?" she asked challengingly.

"Yes," Kagome said quietly. Ayame uncrossed her arms and stared at Kagome, stunned.

"You're serious?!" she gasped. Kagome nodded and avoided eye contact. "Are you crazy, or just stupid?" she asked angrily. Kagome snapped her head up in surprise. Sure Ayame was a bit impulsive when she spoke, but that had been just plain rude.

"I'm a mother who happens to remember what happened last time I gave him a chance. I'm just doing what's best for both of us," she said calmly before going to collect Mari. After saying a tense goodbye to the household she went to find her friends. She needed to speed them along in their departure.

"Hey Kagome!" Shippo said happily when he saw her. "Hello Mari," he added sheepishly. He still wasn't used to her presence. "We've decided we're going to leave in a couple of days. Have you even started packing?" he asked curiously.

Kagome cast a baleful look around at her friends, searching out the culprit who'd made everyone think she was going with them when they left. He wasn't there. She gritted her teeth and turned back to Shippo. "Shippo, I'm afraid there's been some sort of misunderstanding. I'm very happy to see you guys again, and I would like to see you later on down the line as well, but I'm not going with you guys. This is my home," she explained. "Our home," she corrected as she squeezed Mari's hand gently. She refused to look at her, which was unusual to say the least.

Miroku was looking at them uncertainly. "I don't understand. I thought you two had made up. So what's keeping you here?" he asked.

"We did make up. I'm glad we were able to iron out the truth about what happened. Still, that doesn't mean I can just drop everything and go with you." She thought perhaps she should have sounded a little more apologetic as she said that. Instead she just sounded defensive. Why? _Because you know you're full of shit,_ said a voice in her head. She stubbornly ignored it.

"You're not coming with us?" Sango asked incredulously as she came walking close enough to hear the tail end of their conversation.

Before she could answer Mari did. "I asked her if we could go live with Daddy now and she said no," the girl muttered with an angry pout. Kagome was starting to get angry herself. Why was everyone, including her own daughter, ganging up on her? That just wasn't fair.

"What about Daddy?" came an unusually perky voice. Kagome spun around to see him approaching from behind her. Why hadn't she noticed his presence sooner? She was astonished when Mari pulled away from her and went running into his arms. His easy smile, one Kagome couldn't remember seeing on him ever before, slipped into a frown as he noticed her upset. "What's wrong Mar?" he asked tenderly. What the hell? Why did he already have a pet name for her? And since when were 'Inuyasha' and 'tender' acceptable in the same sentence?

"Mama says we can't go with you," she said in a strained voice. Oh no. Mari was going to cry? Mari hardly ever cried. She saw Inuyasha's arms tighten around her.

"Then I'll just have to stay here with you, won't I?" he asked with a small smile in her direction. She looked up at him with watery eyes.

"You bet." He was acting like… like a father. It didn't make sense. Not at all.

"Yeah right," Kagome said with a snort. "You and Koga can't stand each other, never could. I'm sure the animosity alone will send you running sooner rather than later." Mari made her instantly regret her words by letting out a loud sob and struggling away from Inuyasha before taking off towards the edge of the village.

"Was that really necessary?" Inuyasha growled furiously.

"Was it really necessary for you to get her hopes up?" Kagome countered, feeling more and more like the bad guy as things progressed.

"I wasn't. I meant what I said," he said harshly, making her flinch at the anger in his voice. "If you won't come with me then I'll stay with you. You may want nothing to do with me anymore, but that's too bad because we have a daughter together now and I'm damn sure not leaving her. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not." He turned and stormed off after Mari. She couldn't look at her friends because she could feel the silent reprimands rolling off them even without witnessing their disappointment with her own eyes. Feeling extremely rotten she went after her daughter at a slower, calmer pace. She only hoped that she could make things right.


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter Twelve – Sango's POV.**

Sango found the dynamics strange. It was almost as if Kagome and Inuyasha had switched personalities. Sure, Kagome had been hot tempered on a few occasions, but never to such an extent. And now it was happening nearly every day. Inuyasha was actually being the mature one for crying out loud! He'd stayed true to his word and the group had remained, much to Kagome's chagrin. Mari seemed ecstatic every time she came out of her tent to see Inuyasha calmly waiting for her with a happy smile on his face. And that was the biggest surprise of all. Who would have thought that Inuyasha would be such a good dad? The thought had certainly never crossed her mind. Miroku seemed as though he'd believed it all along, but he wasn't fooling her; she knew he was just as surprised as everyone else.

Even more to Kagome's displeasure, Inuyasha and Koga were getting along quite well now that the competition had been erased. They were slightly uneasy acquaintances, but they were civil and polite at the very least, and even seemed to side with each other when necessary. It was funny to watch the two men, who had constantly been at each other's throats in previous years, standing side by side and unhappily scolding the increasingly childish Kagome. They'd even shared a few laughs together when Miroku had brought out the sake, something the monk had paid for later when he drunkenly came onto a very heavily pregnant and grumpy Sango.

They'd been there three weeks to the day since Inuyasha had announced that they were staying. And that entire time Sango had been watching Kagome whenever the girl didn't think anyone was looking. And she had come to a conclusion. At first she'd been in denial. She sincerely didn't think Inuyasha had the balls to stick around, and was maybe even a little afraid that he would. She sort of wanted him to go, if only to prove her right. But after a few days she seemed to come to terms with everything and Sango knew, though no one else had probably guessed, that she was testing him. And he was passing. Now if only he would keep it up…

However, today there was something different in the way she was looking at everyone and everything around her, almost as though she was seeing it for the first time. And she was clearly panicking. Sango worriedly got up and went to her. She was staring with frantic eyes at her daughter who was currently playing with her father in the distance. She didn't even seem to notice when Sango approached and jumped when the pregnant woman touched her arm. She turned to look at her with confused eyes.

"What do I do?" she whispered, her voice breaking. Was that fear?

"What do you do about what?" Sango asked gently.

"He's going to leave again," she stated quietly and then turned tortured eyes on her. "Isn't he?" She sounded so desperate.

"I don't think so sweetie," she murmured soothingly, once again rubbing her arm. She glanced over to the pair who had become almost inseparable in the past weeks and returned her gaze to Kagome confidently. "I know he's not going anywhere. How could he? He's in love."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked slowly.

"He's in love with this life Kagome. With being able to spend time with his daughter that he fell in love with when he realized who she was, and with being a part of a family. He didn't really get a chance to do that growing up, his family was taken from him when he was so young, so this is something almost new to him and he relishes it. And, more importantly, he's in love with you honey. I know it's hard to accept, but he always has been head over heels for you, and even when everyone else thought you were dead he refused to give up. Even when he finally let go, a part of him kept right on believing. And when he saw you again, standing there, healthy and alive right before our eyes, he fell all over again." Sango gave a nod as if to reinforce her claims. It was high time someone made her see the truth.

"You really think so?" she whispered, her voice hesitantly hopeful.

"I know so. Women's intuition, or some such bull crap." She grinned. "Now, what is this all about? You didn't just wake up today and decide to freak about whether or not he'll leave." She struck a 'don't b.s. me' pose. Kagome bit her lip and looked over at the two people Sango knew she loved most in this world. Her hand went to rest on her stomach and she sighed, her shoulders sagging in resignation.

"I think I'm pregnant." Four little words, yet they caused unimaginable reactions. Sango felt a mixture of feelings bubble up inside her. First was astonishment, quickly pushed aside by amazement, and just as quickly substituted for excitement. And then something happened that made both women gasp loudly enough to draw her husband's attention. He came over carrying their son and glancing between the two of them, taking in their shocked faces.

"What's wrong?" he asked warily. Sango turned to him, eyes wide.

"My water just broke." Her voice sounded so calm that she marveled at the reality that her mind was in total chaos. It was a good thing that Kagome was standing there because Miroku weakly pushed the baby in her direction and as soon as she had a good grip on him, the monk promptly fainted. "I was afraid of that," Sango grumbled. She looked at Kagome and said, "He did that last time as well. You'd think _he_ was going into labor." They both stared at each other and started laughing, Sango a bit hysterically. That's when the contractions started.

**I realized that in three of my previous chapters I put in the disclaimer that I do not own Naruto… I don't own that either, but that is irrelevant to this story. Please overlook that. -.-**


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own ****Inuyasha.**

**Chapter Thirteen – Miroku's POV.**

Kagome had very painfully slapped Miroku awake and told him to be a man and hold his wife's hand while she pushed. Since no one was where they'd been before he'd fainted like a little girl he surmised that he'd been out for quite some time. He was now standing there trying not to make a sound while Sango went to work on thoroughly breaking his hand. They'd somehow made their way into a hut and Sango was lying on a cot. Everyone was gathered around, but Miroku didn't think either of the women had noticed. Kagome was the only one in the village who had any medical knowledge apparently. And Sango, well, she was a little preoccupied. And then the screaming started and he almost fainted again.

He wasn't cut out for this. He hadn't been able to handle it the last time and Kaede had banished him from the hut after he'd regained consciousness. Now he actually had to watch. At least he couldn't see much, but holy hell did that woman have a good grip; he could no longer feel his fingers aside from the random bursts of pain when she momentarily squeezed harder. Inuyasha was staring wide eyed at whatever was going on between Sango's legs and while Miroku would normally be extremely jealous about that fact, the green tinge to his face made the monk eternally grateful that he didn't have to see. Sango screamed again and he thought for sure his hand was about to pop off.

Suddenly Kagome straightened up with a smile on her face and he saw the bloody little bundle who was contributing to the noise in the room. Only now he couldn't really seem to hear anything. He saw Kagome's mouth moving, saw Inuyasha swaying dangerously and Shippo and Kohaku holding him up, but all he could seem to register was the ringing in his ears and the fact that Sango's grip had tightened once more. Why? Wasn't it over yet? He saw the smile slip from Kagome's face to be replaced by a look of astonishment. Satsuki was suddenly there taking the baby from Kagome and the priestess BENT BACK OVER! Miroku felt like weeping. Where was their other son? Where had the girl disappeared to with their new baby? Why couldn't he go there too?

And the screaming started again, cutting through the fuzz loud and clear. He flinched. She squeezed harder. He'd pretty much given up on keeping his fingers. They were probably goners by now. Inuyasha looked horrified and Miroku began to feel light headed just watching him. Why wasn't this over yet? What seemed like an eternity later Kagome straightened up again with yet another bloody bundle and smiled before glancing warily between Sango's legs as though wondering if another was coming. He couldn't take another one; please not another one. He felt like melting down into nothing more than a sobbing mess. Sango, however, slumped tiredly onto the cot and released his hand which throbbed painfully. Inuyasha became sick all over the place and Miroku took that as his cue to clock out for the day. He fainted. Again.

**Kagome's POV.**

Kagome came out of the hut warily after she made sure that Sango and the babies were settled in comfortably and happily sleeping. Kohaku and Shippo had managed to get Inuyasha out before he'd spewed too much vomit and then they'd hefted the other useless male out of the room. Satsuki had gone to assist Ayame and Koga in looking after Daisuke as soon as she'd determined that her help was no longer needed. Shippo walked over to where Miroku was laying unconsciously and nudged his arm with his foot.

"Who would have pegged the lecher for a sissy?" he said incredulously. "And I thought last time was bad." He shook his head.

"He may love making children, but he definitely is not cut out for birthing them," Kohaku said in agreement, nodding his head for emphasis. Kagome waited for Inuyasha to chime in, but he remained conspicuously silent. She looked around and saw him staring at his hands with wild eyes, but not really seeing them.

"Inuyasha?" she asked carefully.

"All that blood," he moaned, his voice a little more high pitched than usual. "It l-looked like so-something w-was dying d-down there." He was practically hyperventilating. She stared at him in shock. Was he seriously freaking out over something like that when he'd killed demons of various sorts for a living? Then again, so had Miroku.

She approached him carefully. "Inuyasha? Are you okay?" He suddenly gripped her and his eyes found hers, the look in them desperate.

"Was… w-was M-mari…?" he couldn't seem to put into words exactly what he wanted to ask, but she understood.

"More or less," she said, uncertain of his reaction. He fell to his knees still gripping her tightly. Shock upon shock. What was wrong with all of the men today?

"Wh-where is she? I-I th-think I need to h-hold her fo-for a m-moment," he stuttered, now staring at the ground. She was starting to feel faint as well all of a sudden. Today had put too much strain on her. She found herself sinking to her knees with him. Shippo came and pried him off of her and Kohaku assisted her to her feet and over to a tree stump to lean against.

Shippo was leading an incoherently babbling Inuyasha towards Koga's place. She sighed and leaned back against the tree. "Easy. We wouldn't want anything to happen to that baby now, would we?" Several yards away she saw Inuyasha come to an abrupt stop, almost causing Shippo to tumble over. He spun around and stared at her with a new horror. She simply looked up at Kohaku uncomprehendingly. How…? "I was eavesdropping. You have my apologies."

Inuyasha must have decided he wouldn't make it over to her on his own two feet because he stood right where he was and shouted to her. "Y-you're pr-pregn-nant?!" Now completely dazed and confused she nodded slowly, unsure of what else to do. She watched his mouth open and shut several times and felt an unusual giggle bubble up at his floundering. It burst out of her and transformed into true snorting, hysterical laughter as he fell to the ground unconscious. Men.


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter Fourteen – Kohaku's POV.**

It had been nearly eight months since Kohaku had become the proud uncle of two more cute little replicas of his sister and lecher of a husband. As much as a pervert as the man was, Kohaku had to admit that he took his job as a husband and father seriously. He respected him for that. Kohaku himself didn't ever expect to be either of those things; his past just wouldn't let him forget enough to feel he deserved such happiness. The content he felt with his sister and her little family was more than he deserved already, but he'd decided to selfishly hold onto it.

Almost three months after Inuyasha had found out about Kagome's pregnancy he'd convinced her to leave with them. Mari had been more than ready, and Kagome seemed like she'd been waiting for something. No one was really sure what had changed her mind, but it was apparent that Inuyasha had been whittling away at her defenses by fussing over her endlessly, so that might have had something to do with it. They'd gotten married a little over a month ago and they were undeniably happy.

Shippo and Satsuki had decided to go on their own little adventure now that everyone else had decided to settle down. They'd found a quiet little spot and built their own little community there. Many villagers from surrounding areas came to Kagome for her medical skills. No one had seen Shippo and Satsuki for a couple of months now, but they were certain they'd see them again when the time came.

Mari had just turned six. She really was a sweet little girl. And she was very brilliant. Kohaku had taken a rather surprising liking to her and had become her self-appointed protector. She liked the nearly constant companionship, and Kohaku had to admit to himself that something about it soothed his soul. The two of them were sitting quietly beneath a tree at the moment. A sudden shifting in the air made him stiffen and move in front of her defensively. He recognized that feeling.

"Hello Kohaku. It's been such a long time." Kohaku looked at the young woman who'd spoken in interest.

"Hello Rin. You've grown since we last met."

She smiled beautifully. "And it's a good thing too, for Lord Sesshomaru has agreed to marry me." Kohaku turned his amused eyes to the man in question and saw him studying a tree in the distance as though it fascinated him. If a man like Sesshomaru could learn to love, with as prickly and arrogant as he was, then perhaps there was still hope for Kohaku as well. He'd had many years to learn to care for Rin, but… Kohaku looked at Mari and wondered if the closeness they shared now might one day develop into more. Not allowing himself to really go down that road he turned back to Rin.

"What brings you guys?" he asked politely.

"We heard Kagome was due soon and I wanted to pay her a visit," Rin replied.

"Well, she's actually in labor at the moment, but I expect it won't last much longer," Kohaku responded solemnly and he heard Mari giggle behind him. He couldn't stop his lips from twitching. Her laughter was always contagious to him he was finding. Rin's eyes widened comically and Mari broke into peals of laughter, something that definitely brought a grin to his normally expressionless face. She was slowly eating away at his comfortably stoic nature. Just then they all heard a very loud cry of "SIT!" followed by a resounding thud. Sesshomaru was looking in the direction of Kagome's hut.

"Inuyasha has a tendency to become frazzled and useless during births. He most likely fussed around too much and annoyed her. Nothing to worry about," he explained.

"That mutt always did have a way of being completely incompetent," Sesshomaru muttered.

"Oh, Sesshomaru-sama, you know you will be just as bad when I finally have a chance to bear you children," Rin said soothingly, gently running her fingers up and down his arm. He bore a faint look of horror as though he hadn't thought about such a thing before now and Kohaku couldn't help it; he cracked up. When he'd composed himself again he stepped to the side to allow Sesshomaru a view of Mari.

"Would you like to meet your niece?" he asked quietly. He saw the shock flit across both of their faces before Rin squealed with excitement and practically lunged forward. Mari thoroughly enjoyed the attention of course. It was only when Sesshomaru approached warily that the silence abounded.

"What's your name child?" he asked gruffly.

Mari stuck her chin up like the plucky little spirit she always was when she heard the condescending tone the demon had used with her. "My name is Mari," she said icily. Kohaku was both surprised and proud at how regal she sounded.

"There's hope for you yet," Sesshomaru murmured before turning away and putting distance between them.

Rin giggled. "Don't let him bother you he's just rough around the edges. In reality, he has a soft spot for children." Mari smiled in response but just then there was another loud shout and they all winced.

A moment later Inuyasha came bursting out of the hut. "It's a girl!" he shouted proudly before running back inside.

Kohaku looked at Mari curious to see what she would do. "I have a sister," she murmured, looking thoughtful. Then she caught Kohaku staring and grinned. "Shall we go greet her?" she asked happily. He smiled warmly at her.

"After you," he said with a formal gesture. She giggled and raced him to the hut, Rin following much slower on their heels. And another life began.

**One more chapter guys. Sorry it took so long, but I got married this month so it's been hectic trying to plan everything last minute. Hope it's okay.**


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